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Get ready for the fourth straight evening of action from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, as SmackDown Live's SummerSlam fallout episode comes to our television screens shortly. Much like we saw during Raw, we expect this to be a very eventful show indeed.
The time is opportune to sow the seeds for the coming months, and give us a glimpse of what to expect.
We bring you five crazy twists that could appear during the course of the show, that would turn SmackDown Live on its head. Five developments that could have massive ramifications on the existing plots and story lines. Here are five twists to expect on the next episode of WWE's blue brand.
#5 Carmella cashes in her contract
At SummerSlam 2017, we saw Natalya deservedly claim the top prize on SmackDown Live's women's division. She is now the SmackDown Live Women's Champion, and having followed her career over the years, we are indeed quite happy for her.
Somehow, we cannot shake the feeling that she is a transitional champion, and just picked up the coveted title, so that Carmella could cash in. We could see this happen as early as this very episode.
We all expected a big cash-in at SummerSlam, right? WWE swerved us by doing a cash-in on the go-home show of the brand. Why shouldn't the next one happen, on the fallout episode?
Naomi is owed a contractual rematch, and we can certainly see the women take each other to the limit, in this particular clash. Carmella could bide her time, cash in, and become the brand's top woman!
#4 Shelton Benjamin makes a huge return
WWE obviously see a lot of equity in Chad Gable, a man who could, in time, become the company's finest in-ring performer.
To put him over, we have a feeling that they might bring in his predecessor from Team Angle. We reported recently that Shelton Benjamin, a man who had been chosen to add weight to the SmackDown Live roster after the Superstar Shake-Up was cleared to return.
A rotator cuff injury had put him on the shelf and now that he is healed, he can have a variety of programs across the roster. Someone like Chad Gable could definitely benefit from his immense wealth of expertise.
#3 Hideo Itami joins the main roster!
We saw Smackdown Live General Manager Daniel Bryan at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn III, scouting for promising talent. One of the men that Daniel Bryan mentions as one of his toughest opponents is Hideo Itami, a man he has a long and storied history with.
Itami is a man who has been in NXT for a long time now, suffering many setbacks and injuries.
The time is right to call him to the main roster, and make him a top player on SmackDown Live. After all, his push was supposed to happen a long time ago, when he was a part of the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.
We wouldn't be surprised to see him as a part of the SmackDown Live roster.
We last saw Itami put over Aleister Black at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn III, a sign that he's ready to move on to the big leagues at long last. He could ally himself with his fellow Japanese comrade, Shinsuke Nakamura, to even the odds against the Singh Brothers.
#2 Phenom vs. Phenomenal
So, The Undertaker did not appear on either SummerSlam or Raw, to avenge his loss against Roman Reigns. What is confirmed, however, is that he was on a plane to New York. This leaves us with only one possibility: The Undertaker could be coming down to have a match against the world's best wrestler.
With all due respect to the legend, he is not the same man that he once was. He is much older now, and has suffered a string of serious injuries. He needs an opponent who will throw himself around the ring, and there's none better in that regard than AJ Styles.
The Undertaker could be coming down for his last hurrah, against the only man in the world who could make the match appear competitive.
Think they're from two different worlds? Well, they may be, but they are very close friends indeed, as Styles revealed in an interview. Imagine the kind of reaction that such a massive confrontation would get, if it happened.
#1 Will SmackDown Live make the list?
Hell in a Cell is still a long way away. SmackDown Live has time to fill until the show comes around, and so does Chris Jericho, because Fozzy does not go on tour for a month. Could we see a mini-feud on SmackDown Live between Jericho and Jinder Mahal on TV?
This would make up for SmackDown's loss of John Cena, and fill up the void in his absence. Knowing just how much of a team player Jericho is, we wouldn't be surprised if he just came back to put Mahal over. After all, Canadians do stick together, right? Oh, we forgot. Mahal is not Canadian, but Indian.
Join us for our live coverage of the show, as well as results feature at the conclusion of SmackDown Live. See you in a few hours, sports entertainment fans!
